Managing eczema while looking after children

My name is Rebecca and I suffer from eczema. I have had eczema since I was a baby but I remember the first time I had a major break-out, I was about six years old and I missed a few weeks off school. Eczema can be such a daily battle, from washing to going to work. Most creams and body washes are not suitable for people who have sensitive skin, so I result in spending a lot of time shopping for natural herbal products.

As this is my first blog, I thought I’d start off by talking about something that affects many women and men with skin problems and it’s looking after children. Although many professionals would say eczema disappears in adulthood, research shows that 1.6 million adults are affected by eczema in the U.K. (Guardian online) and 88% say that eczema impacts their daily life (Allergy U.K.).

For those stay-at-home mums and dads with eczema, it’s usually down to us to manage the house in all aspects, so where does that leave time for eczema management? Well… nowhere really. We get on with everything, even through flare-ups. Your GP will tell you over and over again to moisturise, up to three times a day, but with children is it really possibly to follow a strict routine?

The right answer is no, we can’t. We can’t lather ourselves with cream and sit while it absorbs while looking after children, it’s not possible.

In addition to not being able to follow a routine, stress plays a huge factor with break-outs. I know the moment I feel stressed I literally get a tingle on my skin and I start to itch, which damages the skin barrier and leaves me open to infection.

Stress is a huge issue for people with eczema. Stress is something we cannot avoid, it’s impossible! However, we can live to manage this. I feel like we need to look into stress management awareness in our communities. Depending on which community or culture you belong to, this brings different issues for different reasons, we need to be able to have moments of relaxation to reflect and distress.

Relaxing is not always as simple as getting a haircut or having a facial. Sometimes stress can lead to anxiety and depression, so managing early signs of stress is the best way to go. Always seek help from friends, family and professionals.

While at home with my children, I have to wait for any moment to moisture my whole body. My skin is extremely dry and seems to absorb any moisture within minutes. My advice to anyone who has severely dry skin is to moisture as often as possible and eliminate stressful situations (easier said, right?).

Create simple routines within your home, have structure to your day and be prepared for the day or week. If you can maintain a system at home this benefits your stress levels and it’s great for children – they need a routine.

Eczema doesn’t just go away and individually we have to find ways to work with it, so take control! Don’t let your eczema become who you are!

Thanks for reading my first blog, I look forward to sharing more of my journey soon.

My name is Rebecca and I have two daughters and I live in London. I am a World Vision Charity Ambassador and a volunteer at a local women’s charity. I worked for the NHS for nearly 10 years but decided to dedicate more time with my family to look after my children. I have had eczema since I was a child. With eczema I have faced many physical as well as mental difficulties. Having children has brought great new challenges with my eczema and every day can be a struggle. I’m passionate about raising awareness of life with eczema and looking forward to working within my community to share knowledge about skin health.